After years of negotiations, an agreement has been reached on the construction of an underwater pipeline from Israel to Europe. Turkey is dissatisfied with the agreement because the pipeline would pass through Turkish territory.
Turkey has recently begun drilling for gas in the Mediterranean Sea, off the coast of Cyprus. That country claims a Turkish violation of Cypriot economic waters, but Ankara states that these are waters of the so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Furthermore, Turkey said last month that it signed a new 'maritime agreement' with Libya, and that the Israeli-European pipeline would be in conflict with this accord.
This threatens to create a new international conflict over European energy supply, similar to earlier U.S. protests against the Russian Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia through the Baltic Sea to Western Europe. Now, a similar situation threatens to arise in the Mediterranean Sea if Turkey opposes new gas supplies to EU countries.
Greece, Cyprus, and Israel signed an agreement last week concerning the 1900-kilometer gas pipeline, of which 1300 kilometers will run under the Mediterranean Sea. The plan is for Israeli gas to be transported via Cyprus and Crete to the Greek mainland, and eventually also to Italy.
The deal involves billions of euros. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regards the agreement as a historic step for his country. The pipeline will make Europe less dependent on Russian gas. The pipeline is expected to be completed within five years and will provide 10 percent of the gas demand in the European Union.
The gas comes from the Israeli Leviathan gas field located in the eastern Mediterranean. Before construction begins, the European Commission must still review the deal concerning competition issues.
With the pipeline, the EU can become less dependent on natural gas from Russia. Especially Central and Eastern European member states have so far been reliant on Russian gas, which is transported via large pipelines from Siberia to Europe. Previously, Moscow cut off gas supplies to Central and Eastern European countries due to a payment dispute with neighboring Ukraine over gas deliveries. Just last week, Kiev and Moscow signed new contracts regarding this matter.